SERVICES INCLUDE
Endoscopic Procedures
What is endoscopy?
Endoscopy is a procedure where a neurosurgeon uses a tube with a lens and a light to look into your body called an endoscope. The endoscope is passed through an incision to provide images of your internal organs. This approach is done to get to the problem while minimizing trauma to the surrounding tissues.
When is an endoscopy needed?
Endoscopic procedures are used to treat both brain and spine diseases. An endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows a neurosurgeon to identify, diagnose and treat conditions that are deep within the brain or spine.
Endoscopic neurosurgery is commonly used to treat:
- Head and neck tumours, which includes sinus cancer and glomus tumours
- Facial bone and skull fractures
- Herniated spinal discs
- Brain tumour including pituitary tumours
- Spinal tumours
- Neurovascular conditions such as arteriovenous malformations (abnormal blood vessels) in the spine or brain, aneurysms and hemorrhagic stroke due to a bleeding blood vessel
- Spinal compression fractures
- Cranial nerve damage or disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia
- Nervous system cysts
Endoscopic procedures may also be used to obtain biopsies from lesions inside the brain and skull.
How are endoscopic procedures done?
In a minimally invasive endoscopic brain surgery, the brain tumour will be reached through natural openings such as the nostril or small incisions with minimal or no brain retraction. Dr Modikeng will insert an endoscope into the nostril or the incision, to view the tumour and the surrounding tissues inside the brain. She will perform the surgery while looking at the monitor that's displaying magnified real-time images of the brain. Other surgical tools are then passed through the opening or incision to remove the tumour. After the procedure, Dr Modikeng will stitch close the incision, if they were made. The same principles are used for operations of the spine.
